Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal for Barcelona to give the Catalans a dramatic 3-2 win over 10-man Real Madrid El Clasico, leaving the Spanish La Liga title race wide open.
Messi netted his milestone goal – his second of the night – with a low left- footed shot from inside the area after a cross by Jordi Alba two minutes in to stoppage time.
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Messi hits final second winner in El Clasico
Lionel Messi broke Real hearts, hitting a dramatic late winner to put Barcelona on top of the La Liga table.
"He is the best player in history," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said of Messi. "He makes the difference."
Not even a black eye and missing teeth after Marcelo's elbow clipped him in the first-half could halt Messi.
![Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after he scores their third goal against Real Madrid.](/web/20170424192139im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/r/0/b/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvqx92.png/1493040681606.jpg)
The rivals are level at the top on 75 points – Barcelona lead on the head-to- head tiebreaker but Madrid have one game in hand.
It was another outstanding performance by Messi, who is the all-time leading scorer in El Clasico in La Liga matches with 16 – surpassing Alfredo Di Stefano (14). He also holds the record in all matches between the rivals with 23 goals.
"Leo's greatness doesn't stop surprising us," Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta said.
"He is an honour for us and a blessing for the club. We all have to stay with him to have a chance of lifting the title."
![Real Madrid's Daniel Carvajal as Lionel Messi (No.10) celebrates his matchwinning goal.](/web/20170424192139im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/r/0/b/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvqx92.png/1493040681606.jpg)
Messi has scored 14 goals in his last 10 league matches, and is the competition's leading scorer with 31 goals, seven more than teammate Luis Suarez with Cristiano Ronaldo on 19. Messi has 47 goals with Barcelona in 46 games this season.
Casemiro had put the hosts ahead from close range after Sergio Ramos struck the post in the 28th minute.
![Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo feels the pain after a missed scoring chance.](/web/20170424192139im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/r/0/c/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvqx92.png/1493040681606.jpg)
Messi equalised five minutes later after evading two defenders inside the area after a pass by Ivan Rakitic for his first goal at the Bernabeu since 2014.
Messi also helped set up Barcelona's go-ahead goal by Rakitic in the 73rd minute, a powerful left-footed shot from outside the area.
Ramos was sent off with a straight red card in the 77th minute after a two- footed tackle on Messi.
Despite that, Madrid still equalised in the 85th minute through substitute James Rodriguez when redirected a cross by Marcelo into the net, only three minutes after he had entered the match to replace Karim Benzema.
"We can't be happy," Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. "When you don't put the game away, things like this can happen.
"We are disappointed because we didn't deserve to lose."
Madrid's Keylor Navas made three remarkable saves in the second half alone – on a close-range header by Gerard Pique, a shot by Luis Suarez and another strike by Pique.
Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen also came up with big stops, including a header by Benzema and a shot by Marco Asensio.
Ronaldo had a few good chances but was not able to capitalise on them.
"It was a match between two teams that went for the victory," Enrique said. "Either one could have won it.
"We are first now but Madrid have an extra game. It will be tight down till the end. We got the result we came here for.
"This is a season that weighs [on us] like five. So many things have happened, good things, not so good things, things I've already forgotten.
"The 2-2 [goal] was a terrible blow but players were able to come back in the last breath – the happy ending that we all wanted at Barcelona."
Zidane said his team were still in control and the result would not upset their title charge.
"Nothing changes now. Maybe after today the league will be more open," he said. "But we still depend on ourselves."
Reuters